Grease-cup.



0. ZERK.

GREASE CUI.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.IZ.19I?. Lf@ Patented May 29,1917.

I t 20 4 i JG. z5 T 23 Z6 I l j] .I 38 9 J I' 36 3&- 33

..32 LQ? L' WI TfmlS/cs fNw/VT'QFB lUiilliTED PATENT OSCAR ZERK, 0F CLEVELAND, GEIQ, ASSIGNR, BY MESNE ASS-GNMENTS, TO GEORGE W. BOWEN, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK.

GREASE-CU?.

Application filed November 12, 1912.

To @ZZ fur/tom t may concern:

Be it known that l, Oscar. Znnx, a subject of the Emperor of Austria, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Grease-Cups, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide a very simple and effective form of grease cup of the type wherein there is a tubular body and a grease compressing cap screwing thereonto, the body and cap having copen ating means preventing inadvertent reverse movement of the cap while allowing it easily to be turned down as required to expel the grease. Another object of the invention is to properly house the spring detent device which restricts the rotation, and protects it from dust. Another object is to provide a simple and ch ap form of nnrling on the cap, and to generally simplify and cheapen the construction. The grease cup is illustrated in the drawings hereof and hereinafter more fully described and its essential characteristics summarized in the claims.

ln the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a preferred form 0f grease cup embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof on a reduced scale; Fig. 3 is a perspective of the detent device and spring; Fig. i is a fragmentary side elevation, partly broken away, illustrating the action of the detent device; Fig. 5 is a side elevation lof the strip which is thereafter rolled to form the detent ring on the slidable locking collar.

As shown in the drawings, l represents the body or cup-portion of my grease cup. This has a lower part externally threaded at 2 by which it may be screwed into a suitable opening; above this a portion 3 with an angular or hexagonal exterior, and above this a head 4 having a screw-threaded exterior designed to receive the cap. Communicating cavities or bores 5, 6 and 7 in the parts mentioned provide for holding and conducting the grease.

20 in the drawings, indicates the cap, which is provided' with a cylindrical wall having an internal thread 2l adapted to screw onto the thread on the head 4 and thereby compress the grease in the cap into Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, ilQl'.

Serial No. 730,900.

the bores of the cup member 1. The cap is shown as having a wing 23 and also a knurled exterior 24 for enabling its convenient rotation by the fingers. Below the nurling is a recessed cylindrical surface and below this a larger cylindrical surface 26. rEhe surfaces 25 and 26 have respectively the same diameters as the innermost and outermost portions of the lrnurled edge. rilhis enables the nurling to be made by reaching from the end of the cap to the groove 25 and the trimming off at one operation the exterior of the surface 26 and the rough breached portion.

To enable the cap to be screwed conveniently onto the cup to compress the grease and to restrain the cap against inadvertent movement in the opposite direction, I have provided the spring detent device, which l will now describe. As shown f in the drawings, 30 represents a collar having a base with an hexagonal or angular aperture slidably embracing the portion 3 of the base. This collar is flanged upwardly, as shown 31, to closely embrace the cylindrical wall of the cap 20 while allowing the cap to be turned in the collar. The collar carries nular ring 32 having upward projections 33 which ('iesigncd te coact .vitli corrospondingly-shaped notches 2T in the lower edge of the cap wall.

l0 lindicates a conieallv coiled tension spring surrounding the e and having its upper coil seein-ed to tl e base adjacent to the head i and its lower coil secured to the collar 30. As the spring tends to pull upwardly on the collar, it forces the projection 33 of the ring 32 against the lower edge of the cap, tending to restrain the same from rotation.

it will be noticed that the projections 33 are gradually inclined on one side of their faces, as indicated by 35, and more abruptly inclined on the opposite side, as shown at 36. The faces 35 are the ones which are engaged by the lower edge of the cap when the cap is being screwed onto the cup. This incline is gradual enough so that the cap may easily force the collar downwardly against the spring action as the cap is being screwed on. The reverse movement, however, of the cap brings it against the more abrupt portion 36 of the ring and provides a greater resistance to the rotation of the iis cap. Accordingly, the cap may be easily turned in a direction to feed the grease, but

' a considerable eXtra force is required to unscrew the cap. This not only insures against the cap inadvertently. working loose, but also shows the operator which direction to turn the cap to feed the grease.

T obtain the desired action of the spring` 10 by taking a conical, helical compression spring and forcing the small coil thereof through the spring to convert it into a. tension spring. Such spring tends not only to flatten within itself, but to ca the small coil to the other side of the spring. Accordingly, the spring is active to draw the collar upwardly until the spring is entirely flat or condensed within itself.

T anchor the spring at its upper end by providing an annular recess or groove 3 around the body adjacent to the under face of the head 4, which the small coil of the spring is adapted to occupy. The outermost coil has an offset 13 passing through a notch 37 in the ring 32, so that the outer portion 12 lies in a groove within an annular bead 3S formed where the upward flange of the collar oins the bottom thereof. This bead also gives an ornamental appearance to the collar, as shown in the drawings.

The ring 32 may first be made of a strip of metal, as shown in Fig. 5, provided with the notches and projections mentioned, and also with depending lugs 39. Such strip is then rolled into an annular form and the lugs 39 are passed through openings in the case of the collar 30 and upset on the under face thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

The spring may be conveniently put into the collar by passing the end of the largest coil through the notch 37 and then turning the spring about its axis until the offset portion 13 springs into the notch 37. This holds the spring againstrdisplacement, anchoring it at the larger end. lVhen the collar, with such anchored spring, is shoved upwardly on the body, the innermost coil 11, sliding along the angular surface 3, comes opposite the annular groove 8 and springs into that groove, contracting therein and thus anchoring the upper end.

l may prevent the collar and spring being inadvertently pulled off of the base by upsetting the angular portion 3 of the base near the lower end thereof as shown at 9, in the drawings.

Tt will be seen that my grease cup is simply constructed and be cheaply assembled, and that when in place the detent mechanism is entirely Vhidden and protected from dust. The turning of the cap .feeds the grease in the usual manner, while the detent mechanism prevents it being turned inadvertently in the wrong directionvbut allows it to Abe unscrewed whenever desired.

I am aware of the fact that it has been made with the greatest possible compactness.

Having thus described my invention, what T claim is:

1. Tn a grease cup, the combination of a base having a head, a cap screwing on the base, a collar slidable on the base below the head and having an annular flange, a ring located within the flange of the collar and coacting with the lower end of the cap, and a spring locatedwithin the collar and connec-ted thereto and to the base and acting to move the collar toward the cap, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. Tn a grease cup, the combination of a base having a head, a cap screwing on the base, a collar slidable on the base below the head and having an annular flange. 'a ring located within the flange of the collar and coacting with the lower end of the cap, and a spring located within the collar and connected thereto and to the base and acting to move the collar toward the cap, the coil at one end of the spring extending under the ring, substantially as and for the pur- Y pose specified'.

3. In a grease cup, the combination of a base having ahead, a cap threading on the head, a non-rotatable collar slidable on the base below the head and having an annular flange, the collar being formed with an annular internal groove at Vthe juncture of the body of the collar and the annular flange, means associated with the collar for coacting with the cap to hold the cap from rotation, and a coiled spring located Ywithin the collar and connected at one end to the base and having the coil at its other end lying in the groove, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4f. Tn a grease cup, the combination of a base having a head, a cap threading on the head, a non-rotatable collar slidable on the base below the head and *having an annular flange, the collar being formed with an annular Vinternal groove at th-e juncture of the body of the collar and the annular flange, a ring located within the flange and resting on the major part of the collar and having a passage in its lower edge, and a coiled spring located within the collar and connected at one end to the base and having a coil at its other end extending through the passage in the ring and lying in said groove,

substantially as and for the purpose dcscribed.

5. In a grease cup, the combination of a base having a head, a cap screwing on the base, a collar slidable on the base below the head and having an annular flange extending over the wall of the cap, and a part fitted within the flange and located below the upper edge of the flange in position to be opposed to the edge of the lower part of the cap fitting said flange, said part coacting wit-h the cap to hold the same from turning, and a coiled tension spring connected at one end to the base and at its other end to the collar, the spring being located within the collar, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. 1n a grease cup, the combination of a base having a head with an external thread, a cap having an internal thread screwing onto the base, a collar slidable on the base below the head and having a flange extending over the wall of the cap, a ring located within the collar and coacting with the lower edge of the cap, and a tension spring, the inner coil of which is connected to the base adjacent the head, and the outer coil of which extends under the ring, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. In a grease cup, the combination of a base having a head with an external thread, and a body portion, a cap screwing onto the head, a collar having an opening slidable and non-rotatably engaging the base below the head, the collar being flanged upwardly to overlap the wall of the cap, the collar being formed with a groove, a tension spring connected at one end to the base near the head and having a coil at its other end extending into the groove, and means for holding the coil in the groove, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. ln a grease cup` the combination of a base having a head with an extern al thread, and a body portion, a cap screwing onto the head, a collar having an opening slidable and non-rotatably engaging the base below the head, the collar being flanged upwardly to overlap the wall of the cap, the collar being formed with a groove, a tension spring connected at one end to the base near the head and having a coil at its other end extending into the groove and means for holding the coil in the groove, said means including a vring located within the flange of the collar, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. 1n a grease cup, the combination of a base having a head with an external thread, a cap having an internal thread screwing onto the base, a collar slidable on the base below the head and having a flange extending over the wall of the cap, coperating projections and notches on the collar and the cap, and a conical helical tension spring, the

inner coil of which occupies an annular groove in the base adjacent to the under face of the head and the outer coil of which is anchored adjacent to the flange of the collar.

10. 1n a grease cup, the combination of a base having a head with an external thread and a body portion with an angular exterior, the head and body portion having coperating cavities,'a cap screwing onto such thread, a collar having an angular opening and slidably but non-rotatably surrounding the angular portion of the base, said collar being anged upwardly to extend over the wall of the cap, the collar having an outward bead where its flange joins the base of the collar, and a conically coiled tension spring, the smallest coil of which occupies an annular groove in the body adjacent to the under face of the head and the largest coil of which occupies said bead of the collar.

l1. The combination of a body having an externally threaded head, a cap screwing on said head, a collar slidable on the body, a cooperating projection and notch associated with the collar and the cap wall, the opposite sides of which notch and projection are of different inclinations whereby the engagement of the projection and notch are gradual upon rotation of the cap in the screwing-on and abrupt in the reverse direction, and a spring tending to press the collar toward the cap, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

l2. rlhe combination of a base having a head and a body below the head, a cap screwing on the head, a collar slidable on said body portion and having an annular flange projecting toward the cap, a ring in Y the collar and fitted within said flange and having a shoulder for coacting with the edge of the cap to normally hold the cap from turning, and a spring tending to force the ring of the collar against the cap, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

13. In a grease cup, the combination of a tubular base having a head with an external thread and a body portion below it, a cap screwing onto such thread and notched at its lower edge, a collar having an opening slidably but non-rotatably surrounding the body portion of the base, said collar being flanged upwardly to extend over the wall of the cap, a ring within the collar secured to its base and having projections on the upper edge adapted to coact with the notches on the lower edge of the cap, a notch through said ring, and a conically coiled tension spring, the smallest coil of which occupies an annular groove in the body adjacent to the under face of the head and the larger coil of which has an offset portion occupying said notch in the ring. j

14. The combination of a base having an externally threaded head, an annular portion adjacent to the head, a cap screwing onto the head, a collar slidable on the body and non-rotatable relatively thereto, the eollar having a ange overlapping the Cap, a detachable ring within the collar and engaging the inner face of the flange and having an upwardly projecting shoulder adapted to coaet with a eoinplemental shoulder on the lower edgeof lthe cap, opposite sides of one of the shoulders being of different inelinations, and a oonieally coiled tension spring Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the anchored at its inner coil to the base near the head having its outer coil extending un der the ring, substantially'as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof, l hereunto afHX my 15 Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

